Lewis Ritson admits the pressure of living up to earlier hype affected him in the Francesco Patera fight as he prepares for his Newcastle homecoming in October.

Ritson was riding the crest of a wave when he headlined a Tyneside show last October as he challenged the Italian for the European title.

After blasting out three opponents to win the British lightweight title outright in record time, Ritson was a huge fan-favourite in the North East and came into the Patera fight largely expected to win, having been labelled the ‘Geordie Golovkin’.

The defeat to Patera which followed - which holds more credence in the aftermath given Patera’s brilliant form since - was a shock, but also one which Ritson himself describes as a blessing in disguise.

Since his maiden professional defeat, the Forest Hall man has moved up to super lightweight and won twice on the road as he looks to rebuild.

His first major test in his new division comes back on home turf, however, as he and sudden domestic foe Robbie Davies Jr clash in a WBA world title eliminator on October 19 at the Utilita Arena.

Ritson believes the Patera experience, and less pressure this time around, will serve him well.

He said: “I am excited to be back in Newcastle after a few fights away. I think the atmosphere will be bouncing.

“If I am honest I think we needed to come away from Newcastle after the Patera fight.

“I think the pressure last time was maybe a bit too much, so it was good to go away and have two fights elsewhere.

“I really did feel the pressure last time because of all the support and all the hype in the build-up to that one.

“If I am honest, I probably let the ‘Geordie Golovkin’ tag go to my head a bit and started to believe if I hit someone I would knock them out.

“To be fair, I was doing that at domestic level but I probably did not hit Patera with one clean punch in the full 12 rounds because I went looking for that big shot too much, rather than setting it up by boxing smart. It never came when I went looking for it.

“We have learned from that, though, and in a way it has been a massive blessing in disguise - and we will now be ready for whatever Robbie brings.”

This match-up has caught the imagination of fans, the pair clashing on social media and then backstage at a recent show in Liverpool they both boxed on.

It is still more than a month away and Ritson has already sold more than 1,000 tickets - and it was the biggest selling pre-sale of any of the previous Matchroom Newcastle shows.

At Tuesday’s first press conference to hype the fight, it was Davies Jr who appeared the most agitated of the pair - Ritson far more relaxed and at times even laughing at his opponent’s antics.

He added: “I am not like that, I am a laid-back lad, but he started writing a few things and tagging me on Twitter and whatever. I thought this fight was happening long before now. When he fought Joe Hughes I was told I would fight the winner. Eddie Hearn said that the week before when I beat Benitez.

“So I don’t know why all of a sudden he took a bit of a hissy fit about it.

“I am not going to start shouting and swearing. That is not my style. It will take a lot more than that to wind me up.

“He is wound-up and I would love him to bring that into the fight but he is not daft. I think he is just putting on a bit of a show for the cameras.”

It would suit Ritson for Davies Jr to enter the ring so wound up. A war, you expect, would suit Ritson more of the two because of his natural heavy hands.

The Liverpudlian, meanwhile, is a classy boxer, as he proved when defeating Sunderland’s Glenn Foot in Newcastle on the Patera undercard.

Tickets for Ritson-Davies Jr are on sale now from the arena website and also Matchroom Boxing.

As well as the main event, Ted Cheeseman and Scott Fitzgerald will square off for the British title.

Popular heavyweight Dave Allen, who celebrated in front of Alan Shearer by mimicking his famed goal celebration on the Patera under card, will also be on the bill, as will North East talent such as Savannah Marshall, Joe Laws and Lawrence Osueke.